Signaling or indicating apparatus



P. H.W ALLER.

SIGNALING 0R INDICATlNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DECJO, I919.

Patented Sept 6, 1921..

2 SHEETSSHEET I P. H. WALLER.

SIGNALING 0R INDICATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-l0, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H 55 Hm.

sslMe 6 56 7 U lTED rarest orrics.

SIGNALI G- on riinrciiriive arraniiros.

raaaooi.

Specification oifletters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6,1921.

Applieatioufiled December 10, l919.. SerialNo. 343,868.

ToaZZ whomz'tfmay concern. I

Be it known that I, PriorjHnNnY VVA LER, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, residing at Cauiberwell, in the county of London, S. 13., England, whose post-office address isdl \Vilson road, Camb'erwell, in the county of London, S. E, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or lie lating to Signaling or Indicating Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and; exact. description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use tlie same.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to signaling or indicating apparatus such as station indicators, and has for one of its objects to provide a construction oi mechanism which canbe cheaply installed and which will be efficient in its working.

According to one feature of the present invention there is provided iii-signaling or indicating apparatus (for example a station indicator) oi"- the type comprising an electrical driving mechanism for the signaling or indicating device and a circuit closer for such driving mechanism operated by a 7 member on a vehicle engaging with a ramp or other impact or contact deviceon the track, the combination with the circuit closer of an electrically released, lock "to hold it closed and a switch operated bythe driving mechanism at the end of astep in its operation to release the said lock. Thus it is in:

sured that the operating circuit for the driving mechanism will remain closed until the desired step in its operation has beenimparted to the driving mechanism. V

According to another feature of the'invention there is provided a signaling or indi cating apparatus (for example a-stationindicator) and a operating mechanism comprising in combination (a) An electrical contact maker adapted to be mechanically moved into position against mechanical withdrawal force to close the operating circuit of the. .stepby-step mechanism by the passage o f a, vehicle past a member on the track (for example a stop which cooperates with a spring-balanced lever to operate the contact maker).

(7)) An electrically released. lock to, maintain the contact maker in such circuit-dos ing position until the des red stepin its op eration has been imparted' to the step-by-step mechanism, and

in Fig. 1 showing them. in one (a) Means automatically operated by the step-by-step mechanism at the completion of each step 111 its operation to operate the said electrical release and permit the mechanical withdrawal of the contact maker from circuit-closing position. 7

Other features of the invention relate to the provision of means for. enabling the apparatus to operate for either direction of 7 travel of the vehicle, and for permitting temporary reversals in the direction of travel to take place without destroying the correctness of the signals or other indications given by the apparatus.

For a more complete understanding of the invention there will now be described byway of example only andwith reference to the ac companying drawings certain constructional forms otmechanism according to the present invention. It is to be understood, however, thatthejinvention is not limitedto the precise constructional details enumerated.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a diagrammatic illustration of certain parts of the mechanism according to the inventioii,together with certain electrical circuits therefor. s

l ig. 2 is an illustration, on a scale larger than that of Fig. 1, of certain parts oft-he mechanism some only of which parts are illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view, on a scale larger than that ot Fig. 1, illustrating amodification of the apparatus which willoperate for either di- .rectionof travel of the vehicle.

Fig. 4. is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 8. looking in the direction at the arrow 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a planview corresponding somewhatto Fig. 2 but showing the apparatus modified to permit temporary reversals in the direction oi? travelto occur without destroying the correctness of the signals or other indications given by the apparatus.

Fig; 6 is an end view of the parts shown I g of the positions which theyoccupy, and

- Fi 7 ,is a view corresponding to Fig- 6 showing the parts in another position which they occupy.

The mechanism may be used in connection with various types of signaling and iiidicating apparatus but it may also be used in connection with other similar apparatus.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, an operating shaft of a step-by-step mechanism for driv ing the apparatus is indicated at 1 and this is provided with a toothed driving wheel 2 which may, if desired, be prevented from' return movement by a pawl, not illustrated.

It will be understood that any convenient type of signaling or indicating apparatus can be operatively attached to the shaft 1 to be driven thereby.

The shaft 1 is intended to receive a partial rotation whenever a vehiclepasses a guides 10, 11 and by this means the bar 9' 23into the slot 21 in the bar 16. A portion j of the rod 2 1 constitutes the core of an elec- 55 125- in the direction to release the catch 23 station. 'For this purjaose the track over which the vehicle runs is provided with a stationary stop 3 so placed as to be struclz by one end Off a lever lcarried by the vehl- ,cle. In Fig. 2 the arrow 5 illustrates the:

and consequently the lever 4 are resiliently pressed toward a median posltion. It will be appreciated, however, that longitudinal movement of'the' bar 9 and consequential rotational-movement of the lever 1 will be permitted, one'for other of the springs 14,

i 15 being compressedduring such movement.

The end'of the lever awhich is remote fromthe stop 3 is adapted to engage the 'end eta bar 16 which serves as a contact maker and circuit closer for the operating circuit of. the step by step mechanism as .will now be described. The bar 16 is mountedto slide inguides 17 and is provided with a collar- 18 between which and one of the guides 17 is mounted a spring 19 which tends to withdraw the bar. 16Lfrom circuit-closingposition. .The contact with which the end of the bar 16 engages to complete the circuit is indicated at 20 in Fig. 1, and to retain the bar 16 in'its circuit-closing position it is slotted at 21 to receive the end 22 of a pivoted catch 23 to which isattached a rod24l pressed by a spring 25 in the. direction to tend'to force the end 220i the catch tromagnet; 26which when energized moves the rod 24 against the pressure of the spring from engagement with the bar 16.

Theoperatingcircuit for the step by step mechanism comprises a battery or other source'ot current 27 whereof one lead 28 .is connectedto the bar 16and' the other lead 29 is connected' to the coil 30 of anelectro- V magnet for operating thestep by step mechanism, and proceeds thence to the contact piece 20. Thus. it will be seen that when the bar 16 makes contact with the contact piece 20 the circuit will be closed and the electromagnet included in it, namelythe coil 30 energized. The coil 30 surrounds a core 31 formed of a portion of a bar moving in guides 32 andpresseddownward by a spring 33 working in'conjunction with a collar 34 on the core 31. Connected to the end of the core 31 is a pivoted pawl 35 having atooth 36 which engages the teeth on the wheel 2. When the coil 30 isenergized it draws the core 31' upward against the pressure of the spring 33 and thus moves the wheel 2 through one step, correspond,

ing to the pitch of its teeth. Then when the operating circuit is broken the spring 83 returns the core to its lower position and re-,

sets the pawl 35 in position to' engage another tooth on the wheel2.

As described above, when the bar 16 moves into circuit-closing position, the catch 23 engages the slot 21 in the bar 16 and locks the latter in circuit-closing position. It is'intended that this loclr'should be released as soon as the 'desired'partial rotation has been imparted to the wheel 2; To effect this release automatically," a sliding contact 37 is provided which cooperates with another contact 38 The sliding contact37 moves in guides 39 and isnormally pressed downward by a spring 410 cooperating with a collar 41 on the contact 37. As the core. 31 approaches theupward limit of its travel itengages the sliding contact 37 andpushesit against the contact 38. The contact 37 is connected to a r I lead 4E2 of a source of current, the battery. 27 and the contact 38 is connected to another lead %13 from that source 'of 'currenti' l The lead 43 includes the coil 26 of the electromagnet controlling the catch 23, thus when the core 31 reaches the upward limit of its travel it will close the contact 37 upon the contact 38 and energize the coil 26 to'withdraw the catch 23 and permit :the spring 19 to move the bar 16 eut oft11epositi0n in which it closes the operating circuit of the step by step mechanism. From the foregoing it will be seen that the operating circuit for the step by step mechanismwill remain closed untilthe ,desiredstep in rotation has been imparted to'the wheel'2, when the circuit will be. automatically. brol'ren by the electrical withdrawal ofthe locking catch 23.

In operation, .as the vehicle carrying the lever 4 passes the stop 3 inthe direction of maker 16 intooperative position, iIlWlliCll position it will be retained by the catch 23. The lever 4, however, will under the influence ofithe prings 14, 15 return to mid-p sition. The operation of the step by step the arrow 5 the latter will move the contact 7 mechanism and the automatic return of the contact maker 16 to inoperative position have already been described in detail and need not be further explained. By having the lever a separate from the contact maker 16 it will be seen that movement of the vehicle in the direction opposite to that of the arrow 5 will not cause operation of the stepby-step mechanism.

The apparatus has been described above as being carried upon the vehicle but-it will be appreciated that this is not essential since the apparatus could be placed adjacent the track and the vehicle carry a member, say something similar to the part 3 above described, to cooperate therewith.

, The apparatus described above is only operative for one direction of travel of the vehicle. To enable it to be operative for both directions of travel, the shaft 1 may, as shown in Figs. 3 and l, be provided with two oppositely-toothed driving wheels 2 and 45. Cooperating with these wheels 2 and 45 are two sets of operating mechanism whereof only the pawls 35, 36 and 46, i? and cores 31, 48 are shown. These sets of operating mechanism are similar to the mechanism already described. in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 and a e appropriated one to one direction of travel of the vehicle and the other to. the opposite direction of travel or" the vehicle and are operative accordingly. They are intended to be placed with their contact makers one on each side of the lever 4:, which latter will not be duplicated, and it will be seen that they are coupled to the shaft 1 in such manner that one set of mechanism will drive the shaft in one direction and the other set will drive it in the opposite direction. Thus when the vehicle is traveling in one direction the shaft 1 will be rotated in one direction and when the vehicle is traveling in the opposite direction the shaft 1 will. be rotated in the opposite direction.

intermediate of the wheels 2 and 45 the shaft 1 is shown provided with a toothed member 45) which participates in the movement of the shaft and with which there co operates a restraining catch 50 on one end of a spring 51 which at its other end is mounted upon a suitable bracket 52 upon some stationary portion of the apparatus. The catch 50 will cocperate with the toothed member 49 to prevent undesired rotation of the shaft 1 but it will be understood that the catch 56 will be forced out o1 operative position when either of the pa-wls 35 and 46 positively rotate the shaft 1.

Instead of duplicating the operating mech anism as just described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4, an arrangement similar to that shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7 can be adopted. This arrangement of apparatus is intended to render the operating mechanism inoperative for one step in its operation consequent upon the backward movement of the vehicle past the member on the track and to reset the operating mechanism in operative position or condition consequent upon the next ensuing passage forward of the vehicle past such member on the track. In the construction illustrated this is effected by moving the contact maker 16 out of operative alinement with the lever 4 when the said backward movement of the vehicle takes place, and returning it into operative alinement when the next ensuing forward movement of the vehicle takes place. For this purpose there is provided a slide 53 mounted to move in guides 5t and slotted or recessed at 55 to house the lever 4. The pro aortions of the slot or recess55 are such that when the parts are in the position illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the slide 58 will not be moved by displacement of the lever a consequent upon contact with the member 3 during travel of the vehicle in the direction indicated by the arrow 5. The slide 53 is provided with an extension 56 the end of which reaches toward a cam 5'? upon the bar 16. This bar 16 in the construction illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is supported in guides 17 in wide slots 58. These slots 58 permit the bar 16 to occupy two distinct positions, namely as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, in one of which, Fig. 6, the bar is in operative alinement with the lever 4, and in the other, Fig. 7, the bar is out of operative alinement with the lever 4:. The bar 16 is pressed into operative alincment with the lever 4 by springs 59 and is brought out of this position by engagement between the extension 56 and the cam 57, as illustrated in Fig. 7. Backward movement of the train will move the lever 4 in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 5 and cause the ex tension 56 to slide upon the cam 57 and press the bar 16 into the position shown in Fig. 7. Ensuing forward movement or" the vehicle past the stop 3 will move the slide 53 to bring its extension 56 01. the cam 57 and to permit the springs 59 to return the bar 16 in alinement with the lever 1 so that at the next forward movement of the lever 4, consequent upon the passage of the vehicle past another stop 3, the bar 16 will be operated by the lever 4. Y By this means the efiect of the backward movement of the vehicle past the stop 3 is canceled and the correct working of the signaling or indicating apparatus is not interferred with. It will be appreciated that the slot 55 will permit normal Working of the lever l to proceed without operating the slide 53.

Obviously the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 3 and a and Figs. 5 to 7 may eitherbe carried upon the vehicle or be placed adja cent the track as found most desirable.

As has already been stated the invention is not limited to the precise mechanical and electrical details shown and described since by contact with an obstacle, of a longitudidesire nallyslidable circuit closer operated in one direction by the said lever, a spring formoving the circuit closer in the reverse direction. a driving: shaft, a ratchet toothed wheel and a pawl for revolving the said shaft step by step, a solenoid operatively connected with the said'pawl, an electric circuit adapted to energize the solenoid and provided with a contact piece arranged in the path of the said circuit closer, and a locking device which holds the said circuit closed while the ratchet wheel and pawl are being actuated by'the solenoid.

2. .In a signal apparatus, the combination, with a pivoted lever adapted to be operated by contact with an obstacle, of a longitudinally slidable circuit closer operated in one direction by the said lever, a spring for moving the circuit closer in the reverse direction, a driving shaft, a ratchet toothed wheel and a pawl for revolving the said shaft step by step,'a solenoid operatively connected with the said pawl, an electric circuit adapted to energize the solenoid and provided with a contact piece arranged in the path of the said circuit closer, a locking device adapted to hold the circuit closed while the ratchet wheel and pawl are being operated by the solenoid, an electro-magnet adapted to retract the said locking device, a switch which 'is closed by the said solenoid after it has operated the pawl and the ratchet wheel,

and an electric circuit having the said switch and electro-magnet included in it and adapt-- ed to energize the latter.

8. In a signal apparatus, the combination,

with-a pivoted lever adapted to be operated by contact with an obstacle, of a longitudinally slidable circuit'closer operated in one direction by the said lever, a spring for moving the circuit closer in the reverse direction,

a driving shaft, a ratchet toothed wheel and a pawl for revolving the said shaft step by step, a solenoid operatively connected with the said pawl, an electric circuitadapted to the said driving shaft.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my s1 gnature.

PAUL HENRY ALLE Q energize the solenoid and provided with 'contact piece arranged in the path of the 

